Sprout-washing machine



Oct. 4;, 1,927. 1,644,488

L. C. PETERS SPROUT WASHING MACHINE Filed Aug. 18. 1925 2 Sheets Sheet 1Patented Oct. 4, 1927.

LEWIS c. Perms, or mess a rise, ivrroiirenn,

manners, e. coaxemima or I masters.

Application me August 18, 1925.

srnour-wnsnr'ne ivineninn. I

' My invention relates to a new and useful nnprovement in a sproutwashing machine,

adapted for use in washing sprouts to the hull therefrom. One kind ofreferred to, which are termed fChi-n'ese sprouts" principally in makingChinese dishes.

remove sprouts extensively used, are and are used chop-suey and otherThese sprouts are obtained by placing a small Chinese pea underfavorable conditions for germinating and permittingthe germinationtoproceed untilthe sprout has obtained the desired length. The

in their best free from sta it is sprouts, ored and mg these sprouts,

condition, are uncol In commercializdesirable that theybe canned andglass Containers are generally used for canning purposes. However,

whether or'notthe sprouts are canned in v cans or glass containers, itis desirable that '20 the green hull be removed from the sprout,

soas not to impair the appearance of the sprouts themselves and presenta marketable article. The'm'ost practical way that has,

as yet, been devised for removing the hulls from the sprouts is bywashing.

Since these sprouts intertwin'e themselves among each other, merelyimmersing the sprouts in the water, will not efiect a hulls. This is dueto removal of a-ll'of the the fact that some of the hulls will floatand-some. of them will not. The presentprovide a means for from thesprouts and t an immersionof the sp invention is designed to removingthe hulls 0 this end, it-involves routs in water. and an agitation ofthe sprouts while inthe water,

so that the hulls are re of the intertwined moved from the body sproutsand the sprouts themselves entirely freed from the hulls.

It is an ObJGCt of the present invention to provide a machine whichembodies a conveyor adapted for conveying the sprout-s with the hullstherein: through a tank of water and having means veyor longitudinally afor moving the connd agitating it vert1- cally in the tank of water.

Another object of he invention is to provide means for pernntting aslack to enter the conveyor and for taking up theslac'k at the propertimes. Another object of the invention is the provision ofa guide framefor the baskets,

which will permit th e longitudinal travel stantially line 3 3 of Fig..1,

, and and 12'.

ported by thcuprights Serial no. was; Q

the vertical movement of t e conveyor, :so

that e e n in he annotating-na take place.

Assesses To 1m user seas of the conveyor and at the same H inventionsingers,

, Fig. 1 is a s de elevationaljview of the in 'vention, with partsbroken away, f Fig. 2 is asectional view take stantially line 2 2 of 1,Fig. 3 isa sectional view i Fig. 4 is a sectionalview tahen onsubstantially l'ine 4.-4 ofFig. I it i Fig- 5 1s aperspeetive View of adisc used in the invention. i i

its shown in comprises a supporting frame embodying uprights 9 j' l nd 0Positioned the drawings, device Rie n on subv opposite each other,intermediatethe ends of 1 longitudinally extending rails :11 and 11 Asshown inthe drawings, the uprights are connected at their upper ends bylongitudinally extending rails 13 and 14. J ournaled in suitablebearings mounted on the uprights 9 and 9 1 5, which extends tansverselyjof the frame.

Fixedly mounted upon the spaced relation to each 'other, are eccentrics16 and 16, upon each of which is mounted eccentric straps l7 4 Mountedupon the shaft l5and rotate therewith is a miter gear 19, meshing with amiter gear 20, fixedly mounted upon a. shaft 21, which is journaled inabracket 22. On theopposite .end of theshaitfll V is mounted a miter gearQZ, which mesh-es with a miter gear ZiliXedIyinounted upon "a shaft 25journaled in suitablebeaiin'g's 1113 :10 and 10, said than 25 extendingtransversely 0i theirain.

is a shaft shaft 15, in nd spec e yreaeh carrying a pltman 18 and 18respectively. adapted to 2t3 and are fixedly mounted upon 2 f the shaftandfconnected to the pitmen 27 s rocket chain 29, to a sprocket wheellii xedly mounted upon the shaft 31.

gear 36 1s mounted onthe shaft. 34 and i '"f adaptedto. mesh withthe-gear36, which is- I mounted on the shaft 37, at one end. The

f- 'e osite end ofthe shaft 37 carries; a worm 138, fo'11nin' with theworm gear 39 a worm ,gearing'fa aptedto effect 'a'rotationo'f the VShaft 40.

i E e aaa I "momma s an the 5115a 40 fare "comparatively large sprocket;wheels. 41- and42, prevented by collars 41" and 42 1 from movinglongitudinally on the shaft Secured to one face of the wheel 42 is "adisel43ihavin projections 44;form ed on 'its-fa'cai'ada te to.co-operate-with similar .Vpro'ections ormedon the mee'ting face of aisc '45, which i-sffixedly mounted upon fithe sliaft 40. 'fJ'o'urnalled.in suitable bearings folifthelongitudinally extending rails 12 and ,12at the'opposit'e endof'the frame, "are wheelsr46.- clearly seen in Fig.l, .4a conveyor isad'apted toembrace the wheels i and thewheels 41-" and42,- this conveyor comprising-a plurality of baskets 47 made 3'fromwire'-woven into a the mesh, and mounted. upon a pair ofsprocketchains 48.

Each of thebaskets 47 is-provi'ded, as shown oin Fig.4, with rollers 49'at their 4 upper a'nd rollers 49" attheir lower portion.

Longitudinally extendin supported by cross b guide rails '50 are mem ers50, which are f tothe u rightsf9and9f and 110*and i ,110 A-tank 52 isprovided which, when the Eflevic is in operation, is filled with water,

tank being supported by cross members ,which s'erve toconnect theuprights 10 i e and 10' and the uprights 9 and .9". An im- .mersingframe is gitndinally" extending straps 54 and- 54 and-J65 and 55; 'As

*4, fthesie' straps are connected provided, comprising lonin Fig. byemseen i ffbracing bandsv 58, which are spaced at V along the straps 54and ithe fs'traps 55- and 155'." The the: straps '54,.and 55. and the55E isifsuch; as] to permit the j-baske'ts147 therethrou'gh, the 49?engagingthe'se straps, as

' o f'the sltrapsh54- and 54 a're turned out- (proceeding from theframe; ithe immersing frame arefarms 59 and 60, F73; 7 4," as clearlyseen in 54Iand space between straps 54 and passage of the rollers 49 andshown in'Fig. As shown in Fig. .1, the, ends 56 and 57 wardly so as toprovide a guide for the baskets47 when entering the frame and re-]duci-nglthe vibration of the baskets '47 when Connected to Fig. '3 andFig.

c straps.

shaft'31l is a; gear wheel ithis shaft 34.

,32,:ada' te to mesh with the? geariwheel y mounted upon the shaft 34; A

ffdeposited in the baskets.

the disc 43fto move away from the 4. The arm 59 connected to the pitman18 and the arm 60 is connected to 'thepit man 18. The arm -73 isconnected to; the pitman 37 and the arm? 4 is connected to the pitm'an27- i a V I The shaft 34 is connected to a suitable source of power,which effects a rotation of 40. The. rotationof the vshaft 40 effects, a

rotation of the ge'ars 41 and 42, which mesh with the sprocket'chain 48,upon which the baskets 47 are mounted, this rotation of the wheels 41and 42 causing, a tr'avelofthe conveyor formed 'from the sprocket chain48 and the baskets 47. As over the wheels 41 and the baskets 47 pass thewheels "41 and 42 will then cause'the baskets to travel intoengagementwith the the immersing upwar'dlyturned ends 57 of v theconveyor frame anda further travel of v As" "shaft 34"rotates 7throughthe' connections, the shafts 25 and 15V are set in rotation, asis alsothe'shaft- 42,,the sprouts are i Y The rotation of a will bringthe baskets within the immersing frame. l The shafts l5 and 25 being inrotation will cause a vertical reciprocal move ment of the immersingframe, this frame,

being positioned sufliciently within the tank, a

52 to cause the baskets to be immersed in -water', when in the immersingframe. *As

the conveyor is traveling around and" the immersing frame is atqitselevated 'posi tion, the'conveyor will be kept taut by a gear 64 whichis mounted upon an arm 62 7 a sleeve 61, the spring 63 which ispositioned behind the arm 62 in the sleeve 61 serving 'to effect anoutward slidably mounted in thruston the roller 64. T he disc. 45effects.

a rotation of the shaft 40 onaccount of the engagement of itsprojections with the projections 44 on the disc 48. Then the immersingframel starts on its downward movement, the conveyor 7 will move aboutthej wheels 41-and 42 more rapidly than when the immersing frame is atits elevated po'sltion, 'thuscausing the projections'44 on 9. tions onthe disc-45. The disc 45 will re" tate at aconstant speed, so that itwill alternately be effecting a rotation'of the wheel 42-and alternatelyriding idle. The movement, therefore givento the conveyor is a movingalong more slowly, and then again makinga rapid movement, the portion ofthe conveyor which is passing through the immersing frame being movedrapidly verti'c ally so as to splashthe water which is in the tank'52through and around the baskets contained within the immersing frame.

In use, a stream of water will be kept flowsing into the tank 52, sothat as'the hulls are washed free from the sprouts, those which floatare carried over the sides of the tank spasmodic movement, the. conveyormoving rapidly for a short space, hesitating, then .to a suitable drainpositioned in the floor.

Those which do not float will be deposited in the tank 52. The movementof the baskets in the tank will cause a thorough washing of the sproutsas the water will be forced through the sprouts, first in one directionand then in the other direction. In this manner the hulls are drawn fromamong the 65 and sprouts.

As the conveyor goes through these various movements, the arm 62carrying the sprocket wheel 64: is reciprocated. When the basketsproceed from the immersing frame and travel over the wheels'ltl, thebaskets 47 are inverted and a suitable container may be positioned toreceive the sprouts when falling from the baskets 47. Suitable braces 66are provided, to lend rigidity to the frame. Rollers 67 and 68are'provided for engaging the conveyor, the end '51 of the rails beingangularly turned to provide a ready entry of the baskets in the spaceprovided. The'angularly turned portion 56 serves to engage the baskets47 and prevent vibration of the same when emerging from the immersingframe, so that a jarring of the sprouts out of the baskets 4:7 isprevented.

The structure of the machine is a durable one and quite effective forthe purposes intended. It will be noted that the conveyor at thatportion which is'contained within the immersingframe is continuallytraveling longitudinally of the frame, while, at the same time, thebaskets and the frame are being reciprocated vertically, the structureof the machine being such as to permit this movement.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of structure,I do not wish to limit myself to the precise form of structure shown butdesire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as comewithin the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure byLetendless traveling conveyor for conveying material over' saidtank; .and means for forcing a portion of saidconveyor over said tankupwardly and downwardly in said tank during the lineal travel of saidconveyor for effecting an immersing of said material in said tank.

3. A washing machine of the'class described, comprising animmersingtank; a

conveyor for conveying material over said tank; a vertical reciprocalframefor guid-- ing said conveyor over said tank; and means forreciprocating said frame for effecting a vertical movement of aportionof said con veyor in said tank during the travel of said conveyorfor effecting a periodic immersing of said material insaid tank.

4. A sprout-Washing machine of the class I described comprising 1 animmersing tank filled with; water; a conveyor for conveying sproutsover-sald tank; means for driving said conveyor; means for verticallymoving a portion of said conveyor upwardly and f downwardly in saidwater for washing said sprouts during the travel of said container inresponse to sald driving means; and means for compensating for the ofsaid portion of said conveyor for retainverticalmovement ing saidconveyor in taut condition at all times. i

5. A sprout-washing machineof the class described comprising a conveyor;anim mersing tank; 'means. for driving said conveyor forconveying'sprouts from said tank; means for moving a portion of saidEcon veyor upwardly and downwardly in said tank during the travel ofsaid conveyor, said driving means being inoperative upon downwardmovement of said conveyor into said tank.

6. A sprout-washing machine of the class described comprising animmersing tank full of water; a conveyor for. conveying sprouts oversaid tank; means for moving a portion of said conveyor verticallyrelatively to said tank during the travel of said conveyor; means fordriving said conveyor, said means racing during the downward movement ofsaid conveyor into saidtank and being retarded upon the upward movementof said conveyor relatively to said tank.

7 A'sprout-washing machine of the class described, comprlsing animmersing tankfull of water; an endless conveyor passing v above andbelow said tank for conveying sprouts from said tank; means adjacent oneend of sald tank for drivlng said conveyor;

reciprocal means for moving a portion of said conveyor during its travelupwardly and downwardly in said tank for effecting a washing of saidsprouts, said driving means moving constantly during thetravel of saidconveyor and alternately idling and v operating during the verticalmovement of said conveyor relatively to said tank.

In testimony whereof I have signed the foregoing specification.

LEWIS 0. rnr'nas;

